May 17, 2012 -- (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:
WORLD
Forty-nine headless corpses found in Mexico (Reuters)
Merkel’s conservative party routed in Germany (Reuters)
May 17, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) -- The spread of a 600-acre fire that has burned over 15 acres on the U.S. side of the border in the Jewel Valley area has been stopped, CAL-FIRE reports.
“There is extensive mop up on this portion of the incident, and crews will be committed well into the night,” said Roxanne Provaznik with CAL-FIRE. “The fire is still spreading eastward in Mexico. We will continue to monitor the fire activity in Mexico to determine any threat.”
There is one minor heat-related injury to a firefighter.
May 17, 2012 -- (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:
LOCAL
Mother Goose Parade celebrity bookings probed (UT San Diego)
Shedding light on UT San Diego: Editor’s partisan comments to Nathan Fletcher open daily paper to scrutiny (CityBeat)
County budget to decrease by 2% (La Mesa Patch)
Construction expected soon at Sempra’s Baja wind farm (San Diego Business Journal)
How to prepare for the big eclipse on May 20 (UT San Diego)
STATE
Gov. Jerry Brown: State budget now $16 billion (Sacramento Bee)
Human trafficking measure qualifies for ballot (Sacramento Bee)
Scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego) – With Nathan Fletcher leaving the Assembly to run for Mayor, the race is on till fill the open seat.DemocratRuben “R. J.” Hernandez is among four candidates seeking to represent the newly redistricted 77th, which include inland communities such as Tierrasanta, Scripps Ranch, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo and as well as areas as far west as Del Mar Heights.
May 17, 2012 (Lakeside)--The Lakeside Chamber of Commerce is once again sponsoring the Harry J. Spence ‘Citizen of the Year’ Award. This annual award is given to a man or woman in the community who has been an outstanding contributor to the community.
Report: Janitors’ low wages a blotch on biotech's shining reputation
May 17, 2012 (San Diego) -- Janitors who clean the offices and laboratories of San Diego's highly profitable biotech companies generally aren't paid enough to live on, while their low wages are excluded from the industry's claims of creating good jobs.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--One of the most important services the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce offers to the entire business community is our ongoing advocacy, including ballot initiatives and legislative issues. We are proud to serve as the voice of the business community in East County, and take that responsibility seriously.
East County Chamber opposes Prop 29, which would increase taxes on cigarettes
EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
May 17, 2012 (Escondido) -- Dear EarthTalk: I understand there is an effort underway to allow all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorbikes, motorboats and other motorized vehicles into wilderness areas, which would overturn a long-standing ban. What’s behind this? -- Harry Schilling, Tempe, AZ
Update 1:20 p.m. - The fire has burned 15-20 acres on the U.S. side of the border, Incident Page Network and Cal-Fire report. Additional strike forces teams were ordered however Cal-Fire Roxanne Provaznik now states that good progress is being made on the fire and that two of four air tankers have been released.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--CAL FIRE/San Diego Fire Authority is on the scene of a brush fire along the U.S./Mexico border. The fire in Mexico is approximately 600 acres and has just crossed into the U.S.
May 17, 2012 (Flinn Springs) – The Strings of Spring Music Festival is being held at Summers Past Farms, 15602 Olde Hwy 80, Flinn Springs on May 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Bring lawn chairs and blankets. The event benefits the Challenge Center which provides physical therapy and assisted fitness services for the disabled.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego) -- Nine candidates are in the running for the redrawn 52nd Congressional district seat currently held by Republican Brian Bilbray. Eight of them answered a detailed questionnaire provided by the Pomerado News--all but Bilbray himself, who failed to respond to questions.
“The radiation caused by the failure of the spent fuel pools in the event of another earthquake could reach the West Coast within days. That absolutely makes the safe containment and protection of this spent fuel a security issue for the United States.”—Senator Ron Wyden
May 17, 2012 (San Diego)—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden recently visited Japan and issued a warning thatthe U.S. faces a national security risk from spent fuel pools at Fukushima’s Unit 4. View an MSNBC interview with Wyden.
If another quake strikes the already exposed spent fuel--an event seismic experts say is likely to occur this year--experts including a Nobel Prize winner and a former U.N. ambassador now say that a cataclysmic disaster could occur threatening lives across the globe.
May 16, 2012 (San Diego) – On Friday at 2 p.m., a federal judge will consider a temporary restraining order motion filed by the Quechan Indian tribe seeking to halt construction at the Ocotillo Express wind facility site on federal land.
Despite discovery of six more cremation sites with what are believed to be human remains (12 sites total) that federal law requires be preserved, Pattern Energy is moving forward with heavy equipment, destroying vast acreage in the fragile Yuha desert near Ocotillo.
“This is nothing more than a public land grab for private profit. The BLM is literally giving this away to corporations…This may be out in the desert today, but tomorrow it could be in your backyard…Already over a dozen projects are proposed in San Diego and Imperial County.” – Robert Scheid, Viejas media relations
May 16, 2012 (La Jolla) – At a press conference yesterday outside the gleaming corporate towers occupied by Pattern Energy in La Jolla, a coalition of environmental groups, Native American tribes and outraged citizens urged President Barack Obama to stop fast-tracking of massive energy projects on public lands and halt construction at the Ocotillo Express wind facility immediately.
Heavy equipment has begun grading the site, ripping massive ocotillo cacti out by the roots, burying burrowing owl nesting sites and breaking hearts of the many people who love this desert land.
ECM contacted the White House to request an interview with President Obama. No response has been received.
May 16, 2012 (San Diego County) -- In the past week the Sheriff's Elder Abuse Unit has received information about two telephone scams which prey upon elderly residents of San Diego County. The first scam involved a suspect who claimed to be a 'relative' of an elderly woman whom he could not reach by phone.
May 16, 2012 (Blossom Valley) -- Coco the Teacup has a chocolate lab look, but I am sure is a Chihuahua mix at only 9 pounds, and is the perfect fun little dog. Coco has wonderful house manners, sleeps quietly in a crate, never shows aggression towards other dogs or kids..but most of all...he is the coolest little guy I have had the pleasure of exiting from the shelter!
May 16, 2012 (San Diego County) -- Drivers who refuse to wear their seat belts – beware. The 2012 start‐of‐summer Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization kicks off May 21st to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.
May 16, 2012 (San Diego) -- La Mesa resident Chuck McPherson took the First Place Award at the San Diego Watercolor Society's May Member Show. His painting, The Judge, is of a very special person in his life.
He explains: "Judge Earl Cantos was the patriarch of a wonderful family that "adopted" me a few years back. I'd been best friends with his daughter and her husband who invited me to the Judge's Kensington home one day as she needed to check on her Dad who was showing, at 88, the symptoms of Alzheimer's.
May 23, 2012 (La Mesa) – Judicial positions are among the most important and influential in the United States. Judges’ decisions have long-lasting impacts, yet many voters have little information on which to base decisions at the ballot box.
On Wednesday, May 23, the Foothills Bar Association invites the media, attorneys, and the public to attend a Judicial Candidates Forum at B.J’s Restaurant in Grossmont Center, in La Mesa where the candidates for the Superior Court (Office No. 25) Deputy District Attorney Robert Amador, Attorney James Miller, and Deputy City Attorney George Schaefer will speak and answer questions from the audience.
Imposters Claim President Obama is paying utility bills
May 16, 2012 (San Diego) -- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is alerting customers to be aware of a scam that has impacted other utility customers in several states across the country. The scam claims that President Barack Obama is providing credits or applying payments to utility bills. In some cases, scammers have asked for social security numbers in order to allow for credits or to apply payments to customers’ utility bills, presenting an identity-theft risk. According to reports, scammers have visited customers in person, posted fliers and used social media and texting to send messages claiming that President Obama will provide a credit or directly pay utility bills.
May 16, 2012 (Lakeside) – A free Birds of Prey Presentation by Sky Hunters Raptor Education and Rehabilitation will be held on May 19 at Lakeside’s River Park, 12108 Industry Road, Lakeside from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.Attendees will have the opportunity to see live birds of prey up close and learn about their life spans, habitat and diets.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego) -- The City of San Diego’s four major mayoral candidates will square off in a debate on May 18 during Family Health Centers of San Diego’s Spirit of the Barrio Luncheon. Congressman Bob Filner, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, and Councilmember Carl DeMaio are confirmed to participate.
May 15, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--The California State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal-Fire) plans to hold a special meeting this Wednesday to receive public input on draft regulations as part of ABX1 29, better known as the $150 annual parcel tax or "triple" fire tax for properties within the state’s area of responsibility.
The meeting will be held this Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors chamber at the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway in San Diego.
By Miriam Raftery May 15, 2012 (Santa Ysabel) -- The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel is accusing San Diego County officials of acting illegally in attempting seizure of the tribe’s governmental funds.
County to offer discounted zero-emission lawn mowers at 13th Annual Trade-In Event
May 15, 2012 (San Diego) -- County residents can roll their old, gas powered lawn mowers down to the County Administration Center this Saturday and come away with new, zero-emission models. The price? The Black & Decker mowers, which normally retail for $400 plus tax, will cost just $99.99.
May 15, 2012 (La Mesa) --The Regal Bar in the downtown La Mesa Village is hosting a fundraiser on Wednesday, May 16,from 4:00 – 7:00 pm to help raise funds for the La Mesa Centennial Flag Day Parade 2012 – "A Salute to Old Glory". Tickets are $25 and include two drink tickets and food from area restaurants.
May 15, 2012 (San Diego) -- The 10th annual Explore Mission Trails Day, a celebration highlighting everything Mission Trails Regional Park has to offer, will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2012. Most activities will be between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Visitor and Interpretive Center and the Equestrian Staging Area. The 2012 event, Connecting Children with Nature, will feature free guided nature walks, talks and programs throughout the park, including live animals, and special programs for children.
May 15, 2012 (El Cajon) -- Grossmont College will support the annual Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 18 with its own “Bike to College Day,” featuring a pit stop on the El Cajon campus in parking lot 1, at the intersection of Highway 125 and Griffin Drive. The college’s pit stop, manned by students and staff, will be open from 6 to 9 a.m. and will feature free water, snacks, T-shirts, giveaways and bicycle maintenance checks.
May 15, 2012 (The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is reminding teens and parents to be safe, smart and responsible this prom and graduation season. Make this time to remember, not regret. Know the County's Social Host Law and what can happen if you violate it.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) -- The spread of a 600-acre fire that has burned over 15 acres on the U.S. side of the border in the Jewel Valley area has been stopped, CAL-FIRE reports.
May 17, 2012 (Flinn Springs) – The Strings of Spring Music Festival is being held at Summers Past Farms, 15602 Olde Hwy 80, Flinn Springs on May 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
May 17, 2012 (San Diego)—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden recently visited Japan and issued a 
May 16, 2012 (Lakeside) – A free Birds of Prey Presentation by Sky Hunters Raptor Education and Rehabilitation will be held on May 19 at Lakeside’s River Park, 12108 Industry Road, Lakeside from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
May 15, 2012 (Santa Ysabel) -- The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel is accusing San Diego County officials of acting illegally in attempting seizure of the tribe’s governmental funds.
County to offer discounted zero-emission lawn mowers at 13th Annual Trade-In Event 
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